Chaser, Wofford researchers featured on NOVA scienceNOW

2011-02-10

Today Show, ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer appearances, too

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Chaser, an extraordinary border collie receiving worldwide attention for her ability to understand the names of 1,022 objects, and Wofford researchers Dr. John Pilley, professor emeritus of psychology, and Dr. Alliston Reid, the Reeves Family Professor of Psychology, were featured Wednesday (Feb. 9) on NOVA scienceNOW’s “How Smart Are Animals?” program. Earlier in the day, the trio made an appearance on NBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer, and Wednesday evening Chaser appeared with PBS host Neil deGrasse Tyson on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer.

The research with Chaser, published in December 2010 in the journal Behavioural Processes, demonstrates that dogs, like children, can learn that certain words represent individual objects, and other words represent categories of objects, independent in meaning of what they are asked to do with those objects. Newspapers and blogs about their research have appeared in more than 46 languages and on every continent, including the Science Times section from of the New York Times, New Scientist and London’s Daily Mail.